evergreen garden creates a rural utopia only a couple of minutes walk from the city centre.

We settled down in the naturally-lit conservatory after being courteously greeted and seated by the maitre d?. Despite a quiet lunch-time there was still a plethora of silver service waiting staff, with a fair smattering of French accents, and maybe, in an effort to look busy, they were somewhat obtrusively positioned. The sommelier was soon on hand to reveal a supreme wine list, categorised by region for the established varieties or by country for New World wines: we chose a rich and lively Valpolicella Classico.

Whilst the garden suggests traditional beauty, it is possible to dine or just take coffee and cognacs on the patio or the upstairs river-view balcony, the interior is pure post-modern sophistication, featuring exuberant cala lily table dressings, earthy hand-finished Coquet crockery and bronze ethnic ornaments.

Since Clifford arrived in 1998, all has not been smooth running, and the dawn of the new millennium brought dark clouds and unprecedented floods to this river-side location. This necessitated a full refurbishment but also an opportunity to extend the attractive Victorian villa with a kitchen twice the size of the original and a new first floor to give a contemporary silver lining. Even the restrooms were a delight with risqué images cheekily looking down.

Before ordering from a set lunch menu of seven dishes for each course, we were brought a platter of olives, crispy bacon-flavoured sticks and salt and vinegar crisps perfectly illustrating the menu we were then to browse through featuring French Mediterranean cuisine with a proud English twist.

The constantly evolving menu - a new dish is added each month - is based on seasonality of produce and new dishes will often be trialled on the lunch menu and transferred to the main à la carte menu depending on customer feedback.

The menu was pleasantly easy to read with the main ingredient headlining each dish. We opted for the monkfish, succulently roasted with pork belly, crackling, onion and bay leaf puree. The other choice was perfectly sautéed, if not politically correct, cured foie gras, served with a tantalising accompaniment of preserved apricots, hazelnut and flavoursome rocket and basil pure.

However, before the starters we were served with a delightful pink grapefruit champagne foams followed by a rich mushroom and gnocchi appetiser.

After a brief and respected pause the mains arrived and again professionally served by a team of staff, many of whom have over five years continued service. The veal kidney was plentiful and a work of art, with the meat encircled by snail puree and shredded potato, served with garlic snails and bedded on both spinach and caramelised onions.

The piece de resistance was undoubtedly the saddle of venison, exquisitely roasted with an imaginative and delicately contrasting Anglo-Mediterranean mix of parsnip puree, cabbage, blue cheese and chestnut cannelloni.

We decided to take coffee upstairs looking out over the arching branches of heavily burdened weeping willows and still blooming hanging baskets. We were brought sugary pastries with chocolate and apple sauces and a fantastically selection of hand-made chocolates.

Of course prices were at a premium, that goes without saying, but, as long as Daniel Clifford and his dedicated team continue to innovate and surprise, the stars and accolades will continue to flow to Cambridge's premiere dining experience.